Battle of Wizard City
by sherlocked-meriadoc
Summary: Calene Araden WAS a normal girl. That is, until she became Calene Stormbringer. Wizard City is in danger. Only the best of the best would be able to defeat this rising evil-only they don't know "best of the best" means her...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Tremors ran deep under Wizard City-tremors only the headmaster and his owl could hear. Long had it been since any Earth-born wizards were found. The crystal ball swirled with mist. Indistinct voices could be heard, if one were listening carefully enough. Gamma-the owl-let out a feeble hoot and made his way to the crystal ball. "Whooooo?"

"I am afraid you will not find anything in there, Gamma,"the headmaster, Merle Ambrose, said wearily. Since the defeats of Malistaire and Morganthe rarely had anyone from Earth proved any possesion of wizarding skills. Gamma pecked once at the ball, hooting once more. Something was happening. However, his master paid no heed. The transparent image of a young girl, about 14 years old, stood in the mist. Gamma would have to take matters into his own hands-or wings, in his case.

The only way to bring the girl from Earth to the Spiral was through the means of a portal, and the only portals to be found were in the topmost tower of the headmaster's house. The way of getting there was simple-fly in through the window! The portals were there, contained in glass. Gamma broke one open, opening a round portal to Earth, which was seemingly made of water. With a last look over his shoulder, Gamma flew through the portal, bursting out on the other side.


	2. Daydream Believer

**Daydream Believer**

Calene Araden lay on her back with her feet on the wall, reading _Artemis Fowl:The Eternity Code _for the umpteenth time. About half her bookshelf was filled with sci-fi, mysteries, and fantasy. Of course, most of the fantasies were J.R.R Tolkien. However, she _did _consider putting them away somewhere when the talking owl perched on the windowsill of her room. "Hellooo,"it hooted, if you could call it an "it." To be honest, Calene almost made a run for it. "Um...hi..."

The owl gazed at her curiously through yellow eyes. Carefully, he-at least, Calene assumed the owl was a he-placed an orb on the windowsill. Curious, she let her own hand drift towards it. When her fingertips made contact with it, it was like they were traveling through time. Though they weren't really time traveling, merely dimension hopping, it still gave the sensation of traveling by Apparition (Side-Along or not) or by a Portkey. Later, Calene had promised not to read any of the _Harry Potter _ when they got to...wherever they were going.

Her feet landed lightly on a paved road. "Good, we landed in the Commons area,"the owl hooted, if not a bit cheerfully."Come, follow me, child! We must find the Book of Secrets. Of course, we have to find out what school you'll be in!" Calene was beginning to wonder whether this was real. Wizards were everywhere. It was like an alternate Hogwarts, only without Hogwarts... She seriously needed to quit with the _Harry Potter._ Perhaps a bit reluctantly she followed the spectacled owl into a room a bit cluttered, but not uncomfortable. It gave off a bit of a homey feeling. "I suppose I haven't been properly introduced; you see, we don't find many potential wizards on Earth nowadays..." Calene was paying no heed so far, as she was swivelling her head around to gaze at the many belongings in the office. Or at least, that's what she could guess it was. "Where is the headmaster? Ah, well... To get back on topic, I am Gamma,"he continued, as though she had been listening intently all along.

"Hmm? Oh..." As Calene was brought back to her senses, Gamma let out a hoot that sounded suspiciously like laughter. "Daydreamer, are you? Perhaps you're a Diviner..." He averted his bespectacled gaze to the Book of Secrets, muttering something inaudible. Cautiously, Calene approached the book, just in case... All she could make of it was that it somehow placed the students in the 7 focus schools of Ravenwood:Storm, Fire, Ice, Myth, Death, Life, and Balance. The others, Star, Moon, and Sun, were secondary schools which enhanced the powers you had. "Ah, of course... Storm..."Gamma was saying, oblivious to the girl behind him. He looked up, now aware of the other presence. "You have come in a troubled time, young wizard," he warned."Strange things are happening... The doorway to the Nightside is locked. No one is safe. Be cautious." The owl nodded towards her clothes, which had now changed to wizard's robes, shaded purple and brimmed with yellow, as Calene was now of the School of Storm. "Be cautious,"Gamma repeated."Try to learn as many spells as you can, young wizard."

Calene smiled and turned towards the door. She wondered how she was supposed to be registered... Who was the registrar anyway? Brushing back a curtain of very pale strawberry blonde hair (which was closer to pink rather than strawberry blonde...) she heard someone saying in her ear,"Well, you're new, aren't you?"


	3. Fast as Lightning

**Fast As Lightning**

His own wizard's hat lay perched on his blonde hair, smiling from ear to ear. "So _you're _the new kid. Earth born, right?" At first, she wasn't entirely sure what to answer with. "Bet you're wondering how I knew,"he continued, tilting his head slightly to the side."I know everything that goes on around here in Wizard City." And it was true, for he did know everything that went on:new students, new teacher, quests, a missing someone or something, a _dead _someone...

"So I've heard,"Calene responded, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Strange people seemed to be here... Next she was going to see an an antrophomorphic frog or something. "The Storm teacher is a frog, if you can believe that. The Life teacher's a cow, counting on that... I'm Errol Starstriker, by the way-what about you?" Errol gave her a quizzical look, waiting for an answer.

"Calene Araden,"she answered absentmindedly, leaning against a wall. Calene wondered what was in store for her here. Errol smiled crookedly,"I'll race you to the Storm school,"he said, nodding his head towards the general direction of the School of Storm. With a twinkle in his eye, he set off at a run. Fortunately, she was quite fast-she just never got many chances to race anyone...

In a matter of minutes the School of Storm was ahead in the distance. Every so often the atmosphere around the tree next to it would flash with lightning. "You,"Errol declared,"are ridiculously fast." Calene grinned widely, casting her gaze towards the School of Storm. "Hm. New kid, I suppose?"A girl clad in yellow and blue robes gave her a scathing look."Diviners,"she scoffed, rolling her eyes in annoyance."Always stuck in their own world of science."

"Don't worry about her,"Errol said, glaring at the other student's back,"she's just a fussy, stuck up git." Honestly, Calene thought so too. "And anyway, Alia never likes anyone who disagrees with her view on things." Calene rolled her grey eyes, walking into the Storm school. Errol followed suit, trailing behind Calene. "Ah! A new student. Diviner?" A frog donning a purple top hat and suit walked-or more accurately, hopped-over to her and Errol. She nodded, partly amused, partly stunned. Errol shook his head slightly, strands of hair moving from side to side. "I don't believe that I saw your name in the book of registered students here."

"Um... Well, I just got here today, so... I'm not entirely sure it'd be there yet..." However, the professor of Storm, Halston Baelstrom, was not listening to a word she said. "I wonder if Lincoln knows; he normally does when a new student arrives..."he rambled on, walking/hopping to the desk that was much, much taller than he. Errol glanced over at Calene, who was starting to look slightly confused. "Don't bother. He's usually like this,"he whispered, tilting his head towards the professor. Calene rolled her eyes again. "Not like I guessed." Calene had more on her mind than what the teachers were like. She was still dwelling on Gamma's warning. _"The door to the Nightside is locked. Be cautious." _Wizard City was in danger, and only the best of the best could stop it... Every so often a vial of chemicals would foam over, quickly fixed with magic. Of course, being a Diviner, she preferred reading to people, but drawing was more up her alley. Maps, book characters, movie characters, chibi, anime, cartoons...

A solitary piece of chalk flew across the blackboard, filling it with equations. "Aurum and Argentum, gold and silver on the elemental table... Harry, Ron and Hermione need something to destroy a Horcrux, but only basilisk poison is what they have. Coal is 50 feet above the material they need to make something to destroy the Horcrux, and gold is 100 feet beneath it. How far beneath is the silver?" For a moment Calene mulled over this in her mind. Often she found it useful to change the equation to a problem someone-movie character or not-would have to face. "150 feet below ground surface,"she muttered, thoroughly amazing Errol and apparently, the girl who had only recently fixed the foaming vial with magic. The best of the best was here at last.


	4. The Great Divide

**The Great Divide**

"Did you hear what happened at Triton Avenue? There are monsters everywhere!" Errol had come around claiming that a crevice had been opened that was originally an area where the monsters went after they were defeated. However, they only kept returning again because there wasn't a way for it to be sealed. When Malistaire was defeated, the crevice never opened again. But now it was. "Come _on!_"Errol called in an exasperated tone. Calene laughed in glee, unable to believe that only a few days before, she had been residing at 1397 Fortescue Avenue, reading _Artemis Fowl. _"Hey, you _did _complete the quest to come here, right?"Errol questioned, turning to face her.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Y'know. Just in case." Calene sighed and shook her head, responding, "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Errol just looked at her confusedly and asked, "You read _Harry Potter,_too?" Calene nodded, emerging out of the dimly lit tunnel into the roads of Triton Avenue. Monsters swarmed the streets. "How could you tell it was Dumbledore?"she asked, curious as to know how her best-and only-friend knew of Hogwarts when he was born here, in Wizard City. Or at least, she assumed him to be. "I'm Earth born, too,"Errol said, taking instantly to the sidewalks.

"Seriously?" Errol nodded importantly,"Yeah. You didn't know?" The blonde had been in Wizard City for a year now, advancing through the levels quickly. It was hard to believe he had once resided at 1397 Fortescue Avenue a year ago.

"You don't seem like it." Errol didn't respond, at least not immediately. "I know. In fact, most people here don't know. They just assume I was born here." In fact, the only people who _did _know were the headmaster, Merle Ambrose, his owl Gamma, the teachers, and now Calene. It was kind of lonely, not having someone to relate to... But now he did. Errol knew it wasn't in a Diviner's nature to prefer hanging around with their friends, but he was the exception-the black sheep, to use the phrase. Calene's musical voice broke into his thoughts. "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live,"she said, quoting Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore once again.

"Well, duh. That would be pretty useless, to have someone who wasn't living as a friend." Calene laughed, but it sounded to Errol a bit like rain hitting cement. "Hey, you know his brother? Aberforth, the guy who owns the Hog's Head?"he asked, wanting to talk about anything other than his own past. "Yeah. His Patronus is a goat, isn't it?"

"Patronuses? Am I _supposed _to know what that even _is_?" Alia Ashblood, the Conjurer, was on Triton Avenue as well, having just come back from fighting a Banshee. "Well, that depends if you've ever looked past your own nose and picked up a book,"Calene retorted, her hands clenched, crackling with energy. "Or are you too worried about chipping a fingernail?" Alia sneered, but said nothing. With a scathing look, she left the scene. "That was great!" Errol laughed in glee, feeling as though he hadn't laughed in years. "I know," Calene responded with a triumphant grin."But then again... If you seem to have stumbled, think that was fated to be so. Your heart is shrewd as well as faithful, and saw clearer than your eyes." Errol shook his head in exasperation. The girl was practically a walking quote encyclopedia, with every wise quote from any person, A to Z. And yet he _had _stumbled, in a way. Affairs of the heart were strange-it was either tied to a former home or a lover or a possesion you treasured dearly. "It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing,"Calene murmured, gazing at something. Errol looked at her quizzically, turning his pale lavender gaze towards a small, gaping hole that once held the Heart of Eregon, the gem which closed the crevice so many years before. Errol's expression turned to that of horror and confusion. Whoever took the gem had to be plotting to bring Wizard City to its knees.


	5. Tell a Thousand Tales

**Tell a Thousand Tales**

Headmaster Merle Ambrose gazed into the crystal ball which now swirled with mist. "Gamma, I believe he is rising again,"he told his owl, pondering the fact that only the best of the best could defeat him.

"Whooo?"Gamma questioned, curious as to know of this rising evil. That Calene Stormbringer could be the one the prophecy could be referring to. She certainly was nothing short of extraordinary. Level 14 already, and she'd only been here for no longer than a week. "Braern Riftsinker is not to be underestimated."

"Of cooourse,"Gamma hooted in agreement. The crevice which had appeared in Triton Avenue was worrying. It was most likely Braern who had taken the gem of Eregon. But then again, he was never attracted to gems. Unless he wished to bring Wizard City to its knees. The Necromancer held the darkest mind of those who had come and gone through the many years. Not all were evil, though. Orion Stargazer was a Necromancer, yet his heart was clear of evil. "Only the 'best of the best' can defeat him... Now who could that be...?"

··················

For a Diviner, the only place to go when in doubt was the library. And that was where Calene Stormbringer and Errol Starstriker were now. _One Thousand Tales of Wizard City _was stretched between them. "I wonder where this Braern guy even is now,"Errol wondered aloud. For a moment Calene didn't respond. "Wherever he is, his arm has grown long indeed if he thinks he can reach us here,"she decided, quoting Thèoden Kíng. Errol rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well if you ever get in a battle with Braern, you'll probably die anyway."

Calene shook her head, telling him,"Those without swords can still die upon them. I fear neither death nor pain." Errol grinned and responded,"Then what do you fear, my lady?"

"A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds are gone beyond recall or desire." Glancing down at the book, Calene continued,"But then there are worse things than death."

Errol nodded, though he was not listening. "Ignotus Peverell had an Invisibility Cloak, didn't he, because he wished to hide from Death?"

"Not hide, but to conceal himself from Death until the time came for him to die. 'It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life.'"

Errol stared at her for a minute, then said,"You are a genius."

"I know. But we're Diviners, aren't we, so of course we're going to be geniuses!"Calene responded, closing _A Thousand Tales._ Errol sighed but still smiled anyway. "Well, obviously." He cast his gaze towards the library doors, just past the desk of Harold Argleston, the librarian. "_'It's a dangerous business, going out of your door, Frodo. You step into the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.'_"

Calene stood, headed for the double doors that exited out into the commons. "Let's go to Unicorn Way." Errol nodded, but he wasn't really listening. Who was this Braern Riftsinker, other than being a Necromancer? "Errol? You _are _coming, right?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah." Braern Riftsinker... Why did that name sound so familiar? It was as though he'd heard it before. He hadn't happened to hear it while he was still residing at 1397 Fortescue, did he? Oh, well. He'd deal with it later. For now, they had to go to Unicorn Way, for who knows what. Probably some crazy idea of Calene's. _"It's a dangerous business going out of your door." _If only he knew how true that was. "Errol!"Calene suddenly exclaimed."Watch out!" Fortunately, Errol stopped just in time. Immediately he knew this was not the work of just any wizard. It was Braern Riftsinker's work. Unicorn Way was now swarming with monsters once again.


	6. The Son of Death

**The Son of Death **

Braern Riftsinker cast his pale grey gaze upwards, towards the stars. The tower in which he was trapped was a solitary one, set in the Nightside. The door was locked and he could not get out. It was pathetic. A level 90 wizard, the highest level there is and he couldn't find a way to escape from the Nightside. He fingered the brim of his wizard's hat, the Mantle of Mastery, which he had acquired from Diego the Duelmaster long ago, when he was still a student in Ravenwood. Braern had been happy there then, but not now. He resented it now, and all its residents. His future had been foretold to him through the crystal ball which rested in the headmaster's office. It said he would become a great wizard one day-but not in what way, only that he would hold terrible, yet great, powers all would behold. And yes, they did marvel at it, but Braern was sent into exile because he had turned a few spells to do his bidding. "That's what you told me. Instead I got thrown here, never to get out! I have seen students come and go, yet none know I am here. None who know that can help me escape from this wretched place,"he growled, casting a Skeletal Pirate clambering down the stairs.

"Much that once was is now lost, for none now live who remember it,"answered the crystal ball in a soft voice, enchanted so that it would speak."Including you, Braern." Braern didn't answer, simply held his gaze."The foretelling of the future does not lie, Braern Riftsinker. What will soon be will soon become." No answer came from the Necromancer, but suddenly came the words of Gríma Wormtongue. "So fair, yet so cold like a morning of pale Spring, still clinging to Winter's chill." He knew that sending monsters their way was the only thing he could do to distract them from the doorway to the Nightside opening again. The Nightside was a lonely place. The only living company there was to talk to was Mortis, and even then Braern had no means of communication with the Death tree. He knew that only the best of the best could defeat him, but he wasn't worried at all. The "best of the best" wasn't coming anytime soon, he was sure of it. All Braern had to do now was to figure out a way to escape from this wretched tower. Any sort of spell from here wouldn't work, obviously... "_Alohomora!_"he whispered, pointing his wand towards the bars that obstructed his way out and down the staircase. Immediately the bars of iron swung open, and throwing his head back, Braern cackled with glee. Wizard City would be his at last.

·············

It was the middle of a perfectly fine Friday when Calene had a sudden feeling that something bad would happen."Hey Errol,"she said, turning to her blonde companion,"do you ever get that feeling, that, you know, something bad is going to happen?" Errol shrugged and responded,"No, why?"

"It's just that I got that feeling just now, like something major happened." Errol gave her an odd look before finally saying,"Maybe you're going insane, after all." Calene rolled her eyes. "I am not insane, owl boy!"she retorted.

"_Owl boy_?!" Calene had started off at run when she shouted back,"Yeah, that's what I called you! Now come ON! We'll be late for our next class!" Exiting the pleasant greens of the Commons Area and entering the slightly dimmer Ravenwood roads, the pair of wizards slowed down in front of the Myth school, in which Calene was seconding in. It seemed odd to think that a Storm student would take Myth as their second, but it was possible. "Hmm. Another Conjurer wannabe taking the Ravenwood tour?"Cyrus Drake sneered, who just happened to be walking past them and into the Myth school. Fortunately, he was talking to another new student, Cadence Amorè. "Run along, you two,"he said scathingly to Errol and Calene,"go play in the streets or whatever it is you _Diviners _do." Calene nodded and dragging Errol along by the arm, she brought them both to a stop in front of the Ice school. "What'd you do that for?"Errol complained, rubbing his arm."That hurt!"

"Yeah, it did. So? It's not my fault you were going to backtalk Cyrus Drake, let alone a teacher!" Errol scoffed and muttered,"Typical response from a smart person,"only to get a glare from Calene and her answer:"That goes for all the Diviners, you know that, right?" before they both walked into their next class, Ice. "Don't say a word,"Calene hissed as both Diviners slipped into seats at the back of the room, hoping to pass by unseen. Fortunately-their luck seemed to have passed for more than 1 teacher today-the Ice professor, Lydia Greyrose, took no notice of them as she shuffled papers around and sent a piece of pale blue chalk flying across the blackboard. As more students filed in, some in small groups, others in pairs of one or two. "I wonder what we're learning today,"someone whispered in their ears, causing them both to jump slightly. Calene couldn't help but turn her head and start as she recognized the peaky looking girl Cyrus had sneered at earlier. "Oh I know you!"she said softly, as to not alert the professor,"you're Cadence Amorè, aren't you? We"-here she gestured to both herself and Errol-"saw you earlier, I think. Or at least someone who looked a bit like you." Cadence nodded, smiling softly, brushing back a lock of blue hair. "Miss Amorè! _Do _find a seat, please!"Professor Greyrose chirped, looking up at long last. The piece of chalk now hovered for a moment before lowering on to the thin railing protruding from the bottom of the blackboard. Cadence scuttled to the next available seat, which just happened to be next to Errol. "Of course, as you all know, Ice is the magic of snow and blizzards, as well as being the most resilient of the schools,"the professor continued on, flitting down the aisle, pausing down the middle to cast her gaze down the row where a few novice Theurgists were giggling softly, who immediately stopped. "Those who embrace the power of Ice exhibit great patience and strength, but as a drawback, they often become rigid and inflexible." She continued on to spells and their damage, while Calene yet held her quill up only with psychokinesis, speeding it along the parchment, filling it with notes.

···················

Braern was free, free at last from his prison of 30 years! He felt as though he had never aged a day. But there was still the doorway connecting the Nightside to the rest of Wizard City. How was he to open it? Alohomora certainly wouldn't work again. Perhaps another kind of magic. Braern pressed his ashen hand to the door, smiling in glee. Now he was able to wreak his revenge for being trapped here in the Nightside. Seeing the students come and go as they could when he could not had left a searing scar behind. With a creak, the door to Wizard City opened to a roaring watwrfall, his only obstacle between himself and the wizarding world, as well as finding a way to conceal himself from the authority figures-the teachers, headmaster and particularly the duelmaster. The students, obviously, as of late would not recognize him much less know who he was. But there had to be at least one. No. If he were to get any revenge he had to work against anyone and everyone who got in his way. The Heart of Eregon was his. Monsters would swarm the streets-Unicorn Way, Triton Avenue, Firecat Alley, Cyclops Lane. The only way to get past them was to disguise himself as a student-Elydir Embershield. A descendant of the original, who just so happened to be named after him. Braern Riftsinker would prevail.


End file.
